Best Practices Blog

Quick Coupler Safety Tips

Quick couplers allow you to switch between different attachments fast and easily. Using them the right way will make your operation more efficient and reduce the risk of machine damage or injury on the job when changing attachments.

Tier IV Engine Maintenance Best Practices

Tier IV engines are designed to lower the number of particulates and nitrogen oxides that are emitted into the atmosphere from heavy equipment and other machines.

Excavator Rental Tips

Sometimes a project comes up that requires equipment that would be expensive to acquire but would make completing the project much easier and more efficient. Renting the machines you need is a cost effective solution that facilitates completing the project without adding high overhead costs.

Safety Tips for the Road

Road building projects can be hazardous environments if the right measures aren’t taken. By utilizing proper safety protocols and being proactive, crews can greatly reduce the chance of accidents and injuries. In this blog post, we’ll cover key road construction tips and best practices.

How to Deal with Muddy Working Conditions

When you're using your heavy equipment off road, there's a very good chance that you’ll become stuck in the mud at some point. Jobsites can often be wet, soggy messes. Almost any type of equipment can be vulnerable to getting stuck in the mud, including skid steers, CTLs, wheel loaders, and excavators.

Tips for Heavy Equipment Radiators

Heavy equipment radiators are essential components of construction machines. They play a crucial role in keeping the engine cool, preventing overheating, and prolonging the life of the equipment. However, like any other part of heavy equipment, radiators require regular maintenance and care to function optimally.

Mini Excavator Maintenance Tips

Mini excavators are a vital part of many construction projects. They are perfect for digging and moving materials in tight spaces, making them the ideal machine for small construction sites, landscaping projects, and other areas where space is limited. To help ensure your compact excavators run smoothly and efficiently, regular maintenance is essential.

Maintenance Tips for Skid Steer Tires

Keeping your skid steer tires in good shape will help ensure your machine stays productive and operates at the highest level possible for you. Following a few simple skid steer maintenance tips will prevent unnecessary wear and extend the life of your tires.

Heavy Equipment Cooling System Tips

Your equipment’s cooling system keeps it from over heating and ensures it operates at optimal temperatures. If your engine’s cooling system is not maintained correctly, it will have to work harder to prevent overheating, and your machine won’t operate as efficiently, and internal components could be damaged.

Adjusting Track Tension Tips

Loose tracks can detrack. Over-tightening can cause power loss, excessive roller and idler wear, and could tear the tracks. Refer to your operator’s manual for track inspection and tensioning procedures.

Excavator Safety Tips

Earthmoving projects pose a variety of dangers to excavator operators and anyone else on the jobsite. Follow our best practices to ensure excavator safety and avoid problems.

Equipment Fleet Management Strategies

Properly managing your heavy equipment is crucial to maintain your return on investment and keep your projects running on time and on budget. To help you keep your machines as productive as possible for as long as possible, we’ve put together some key equipment fleet management strategies.

End of Life Equipment Tips

To ensure the best performance on the job, you sometimes need to get rid of your older, long serving pieces of equipment.

Dealing with Changing Tire Pressure in the Winter

To help you avoid equipment issues in the colder months, follow these tire pressure tips and best practices below.

Machine Winterization Tips

When temperatures drop, you have to make sure your heavy equipment is up to the challenge. To help out, we’ve put together some machine winterization tips for both operational and seasonal storage.

Heavy Equipment Checklist

Heavy equipment operation can be dangerous, inefficient, and costly if done incorrectly. To help promote jobsite safety and avoid hazardous situations, we’ve put together a checklist of things operators should do before beginning work each shift, along with features your equipment should include.

Tips for Buying Used Equipment

When you decide to buy used equipment for your fleet, you want to make sure you’re getting an effective machine that meets your needs. The problem is that sometimes it can be difficult to know what you’re buying and whether the machine is used equipment that will last without the potential of requiring expensive repairs, accompanied by downtime, and accelerated wear and tear after you purchase.

Heavy Machines LLC Breaks Ground For Their New Facility in Piperton, TN

Memphis, TN (June 29, 2022)—Heavy Machines LLC is pleased to announce that they recently began breaking ground for a new location in Piperton, TN. The facility will sit on a six acre lot and will house both their corporate team and the staff and operations of their current Memphis branch. They hosted a groundbreaking ceremony on June 7, with employees and company leaders, customers, and members of the community attending. The new facility is expected to be completed within a year.

Tips on Theft Prevention for Your Jobsites and Equipment

There are many proactive steps you can take when it comes to theft prevention of heavy equipment. The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) estimates annual losses from heavy equipment theft are as high as $1 billion. Unfortunately, there are many costs associated with theft including equipment replacement, short term rentals, lost time dealing with law enforcement and adjusters, increased labor costs due to downtime, and penalties that could be incurred if a project is delayed.

Best Practices: Lowering Owning and Operating Costs

From routine service to fuel purchasing, the cost of owning heavy equipment can quickly add up over the life of the machine. Follow these tips on how you can reduce expenses for the highest return on your investment.

Best Practices: Why Leasing Heavy Equipment is a Good Idea

Leasing is a cost-effective way to acquire construction machinery without spending top dollar to purchase it outright. Is it the right move for your business?

Best Practices: Tips for Heavy Equipment Storage

Sometimes it’s necessary to store your heavy equipment for months or seasons. Whether it’s for the entire winter or just for a few months while you’re not using it, there are important steps you should take to protect your machines and prevent damage. Follow these six tips for heavy equipment storage.

Best Practices: Liebherr – Replacing Bucket Teeth

If you’re digging or moving material, bucket teeth are critical to effective excavator or loader performance. Sharp bucket teeth boost operational efficiency while reducing stress on your equipment, resulting in longer machine life and lower maintenance costs.

Best Practices: Insider Excavator Tips that Ensure Top Performance

Follow our excavator tips and best practices to ensure efficient digging, avoid accidents and injuries on the job, and finish the job right.

Best Practices: DEF Tips

Follow these insider tips and best practices for diesel exhaust fluid to ensure you’re getting the best performance possible from your equipment.

Best Practices: Greasing Machine Tips

Heavy equipment lubrication is necessary to ensure top equipment performance. Follow these greasing machine tips to do it right.

Best Practices: Tips for Choosing an Excavator

Excavators are a critical tool on earthmoving, construction, and material handling jobs. Follow these tips for ensuring you choose the best one for your needs

Best Practices: Filter Tips

Filters keep your machine’s fuel, oil, and hydraulic fluid clean. Follow these filter tips to ensure your equipment operates at its best.

Best Practices: Safety Tips for Construction Jobs

From dressing appropriately to using the right safety equipment, follow these best practices to stay safe on construction jobs.

Best Practices: Preseason Equipment Checklist

Follow these preseason best practices to ensure your machines and business are ready for the busy season. Have your equipment checked now to avoid big problems later.

Best Practices: Equipment Coolant Tips

Coolant is critical in your equipment to prevent freezing, corrosion, cavitation, and rust. Follow these tips to ensure optimal cooling system performance.

Best Practices: Fluid Analysis Tips

Regular fluid analysis helps you learn detailed information on contaminants and catch problems early to make better maintenance decisions.

Best Practices: Remanufactured Parts Tips

Remanufactured parts cost as much as 25% to 45% less than new parts, are more environmentally friendly, and can come with the same warranties as new.

Best Practices: Equipment Fuel Usage Tips

Fuel is one of the highest expenses for heavy equipment. Follow our tips and best practices to reduce overall fuel consumption and cut your costs.

Best Practices: Winter Storage Tips

Don't let weather leave you or your equipment out in the cold. Protect your equipment for cold weather storage before winter arrives.

Best Practices: Cold Weather Operation Tips

Winter is right around the corner. Don't let your productivity drop along with the temperatures! A little preparation can help you maximize productivity and minimize downtime as cold weather creeps in.

Best Practices: Attachment Maintenance

Keep Costs Down by Extending the Life of Your Attachments

Best Practices: Sanitizing Your Equipment

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, many companies have a heightened sense of awareness when it comes to maintaining cleanliness. Follow these heavy equipment sanitation tips to protect your team from coronaviruses, the flu, and any other pathogens that may strike.

Best Practices: Fleet Management Tips

Learn these strategies to help keep your fleet productive for as long as possible.

Fuel Contamination Tips

Dirt and dust in your fuel system can reduce engine life by 50%. These contaminants cause more than 85% of all failures in fuel systems.

Operator Training Tips

Operator error is the most common cause of equipment repairs. Proper operator training is essential to avoid damage caused by negligence and oversight.

Hydraulic Hoses

Do you know how to choose the right hose? Are you doing everything possible to keep in operational? What do you do if a hose fails?

Barko Hydraulics Welcomes Heavy Machines Inc. as New Dealer

Heavy Machines will provide sales and product support for Barko’s merchandising loader, stationary electric loader, utility loader, grapple, tracked harvester, feller buncher and processor product lines from our ME locations. Read the full announcement on Construction Equipment Guide

Five TIER IV Lessons

If you’re finally running a Tier IV engine in a piece of rolling stock, take heed to the lessons here.

Fuel Burn Discussion

by Steve Northcross – I’ve got a question for all you independent contractors, pulp mill wood yard managers, scrap yard managers, industrial facility managers, landfill and waste transfer facility managers, and anybody else who’s.....

Do you have the right equipment?

Anyone who’s responsible for equipment purchases in their company knows it’s a thankless task. As a business owner or manager in charge of purchasing, you want to know you’re getting a good deal on the equipment you buy with as little hassle as possible…